You know what they say about the best laid plans.
After having a special use permit approved in 2022, and undertaking more than a year of engineering work, representatives from the Kessler Collection decided to pivot.
The Cashiers East Village project will go back before the Cashiers Planning Council in April with an amended plan that will be roughly 30 percent smaller than the initial development. The new plan still includes a 96-room lodge, a “Cashiers Hall” gathering space, luxury cabins, glamping sites, a spa, restaurants, retail, and public green space – just on a smaller scale.
“When we got our boots on the ground and started actually laying out the lodge and some of the other buildings within our site plan, we realized we needed to rethink what we had on paper,” architect Christian Sottile said. “We went out and marked every tree, we looked at every topography change, and we said let’s take a step back and make sure we are delivering what the people of Cashiers want and what we envision.”
The original site plan that was approved in 2022 called for the lodge to sit on a cleared lot near Monte Vista Road. Once Sottile and his team began staking out the lot, he realized there was an issue with the sight lines.
“We thought initially the way that space was situated, and with the mature trees around it, that you would not be able to see the top of the lodge from either US64 or NC107,” Sottile said. “After further inspection it became clear that using that site for the lodge would make it visible from both main roads. One thing we did not want to do, and we heard a lot of feedback about this very issue, is build a large building on top of the hill. We want to preserve the natural character of the land.”
Sottile and the Kessler team went back to the drawing board and reimagined the 24.5-acre property near the crossroads, which features an 8-acre conservation area that is formally protected via an easement.
“In working with the folks at The Village Green, and talking with local people, we understood that the conservation aspect of the project was important and it’s important to us as well,” Sottile said. “By moving the lodge off the top of the hill, and closer to NC107, we are able to increase the amount of green space within the project and keep the ridgeline as it is without the silhouette of the lodge sticking out.”
Because several of the buildings in the original plan now have a smaller footprint in the amended plan, the development will only require roughly 270 parking spaces, instead of the originally approved 380. The water needed for the development will come from three on-site wells which are already in place, and the wastewater will be removed via the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority system.
One feature that didn’t change between the original plan and the amended version is the revamping of the former Tommy’s restaurant along NC107. A staple of the Cashiers community for years, Tommy’s was known for big breakfasts and daily lunch specials.
“We have gone in and looked at that building, which has been added on to several times, and we’ve found the original layout that was Tommy’s,” Kessler Collection Chairman and CEO Richard Kessler said. “When we came to town and met with stakeholders and community leaders, before we even started really planning for the project, people brought up Tommy’s restaurant and how that building was a special gathering place in its hay day. We want to bring that back for the community.”
If all goes as scheduled and the amended plan is approved by the planning council, the timeline for construction to start on the first buildings within the development would begin in September with an estimated 30-month build out for the entirety of the project.
“By making the developed area less intense, it will allow us to use the land in a way that better fits with Cashiers’ aesthetic and it will allow us to keep more trees and more green space,” Sottile said. “This project hasn’t been an easy one in terms of engineering and design, but Richard doesn’t usually buy easy properties. That’s what makes it special, is the fact that we want it to build what the people of Cashiers want in a way that makes sense for the environment and within the flow of the community.”
The next Cashiers planning council meeting is scheduled for April 8.